Puppy Love
by RevolverKiss
Summary: Elementary school students Gerard, Mikey, and Frank have plans to watch a scary movie this weekend, but will they have time when there's a new guest hiding in the Iero's home?


**A/N: I want to thank Eli, my beta, for editing this for me! She always edits whatever I send her, allows me to spam her email and phone, and puts up with me being me. Without her, these stories would be crud!**

Puppy Love

As the bell rang, second grade Frank, scrambled out from his class and into the hallway. The seven year old raced the clock to arrive at the "meeting spot."

Every day after school, Frank was to meet with his best friends, Mikey and Gerard Way, and walk home with them. Since their parents all worked late, they walked together in a group before going to their appropriate houses.

Mikey and Gerard were at the spot moments later. Five year old Mikey pushed his glasses up his nose, a familiar habit, as he smiled at Frank.

"Hey, Frankie," Mikey said. "Are you allowed to come over today?"

"I can't," Frank frowned, the two boys mimicking his expression. "Ma said I have to clean my room if I want to sleep over tomorrow night."

"Eww," the Way brothers said together. Frank's room was a mess; piles of mismatched comics, scattered mounds of clothes, and pictures done by Gerard covering every available inch. It was a miracle the carpet was still visible. All of their rooms were in the same fashion.

Walking farther down the hall, Gerard looked around and whispered, "I got the movie for tomorrow night," as if the kids passing by would rat them out to their mothers. They would be watching _Dawn of the Dead_ for the first time unafraid of being found out, as a result to Donna, Mikey and Gerard's mom, staying out late and Don, her husband, usually stayed in his room while babysitting. It was the perfect opportunity to watch the horror movie they had drooled over every time they entered Blockbuster.

"This is going to be awesome!" Frank exclaimed as they walked out the front doors of their school. By the time they got across the parking lot, the grey Jersey rain clouds ripped and began to sprinkle the three friends with rain.

"My glasses," Mikey mumbled, attempting to see through the slicked lenses.

"Here," Gerard stopped walking and took his Marvel Comics Backpack off. He dug around and pulled out a black umbrella. "Mom said I should bring it today," he smiled proudly as the other two boys crowded under its safety with Gerard. Gerard and Frank giggled softly as Mikey cleaned his lenses.

The boys kept talking in hushed voices about their plans for the next night as they walked home, trying to keep their squeals to a minimum. They were all just so excited. They were planning on building a fort and Mrs. Way was going to order a pizza for them.

Their giggles and excited voices stopped once the reached the front of the Way's house. The rain had picked up during their walk and was now pouring rapidly on the umbrella.

"Are you okay walking home in the rain?" Gerard asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine," Frank said with a smile. He lived another block down from his friends.

"Take the umbrella," Gerard said. His eyes were full of concern. Mikey shifted his weight back and forth. He just wanted to get inside and out of the bad weather.

"Alright," Frank said softly, knowing his friend would keep insisting. Gerard was stubborn once he set his mind to something. He took the umbrella and watched the boys walk inside their home before he continued walking. He chewed his lip as he walked, nervous that a thunderstorm might start. He liked them when Ma was home, when he didn't mind jumping on the couch and giggling as he watched the light out the window. It was different when he was home alone in a dark house though—completely different. He had no idea what could be in the shadows.

A small whimper brought Frank out of his worried daze. He stopped and turned around. No one was behind him. He started to walk, but he heard the sound again. The whimper was soft and quiet. Frank stopped and looked around again. That's when he saw it—there was a little puppy sitting in the gutter.

The puppy was brown and its fur was clinging to its body, dripping rain water. Its ears were down and its whole body shook. Frank's eyes widened and he gasped. Who would leave a poor, little puppy out in the rain? He knelt down and the puppy stumbled up onto the sidewalk, looking up at Frank with big, brown pleading eyes that could put his own to shame. He held back a squeal as he scooped the puppy up, fumbling with the umbrella. He took off running towards his house. The little puppy was quivering so much!

He tossed the umbrella down as he unlocked the front door. He dragged the umbrella in before locking the door again. He tossed his backpack somewhere and hurried up the stairs to the bathroom. He gently set the puppy in the sink and found a towel. While Frank was carefully drying and wrapping the small dog up, it had ceased its whimpering and drooped its eyes with exhaustion.

"You're alright now, little fella," Frank said in a small and babyish voice, standing on his stool in front of the counter. He watched the puppy with wide, fascinated eyes. He loved dogs.

The puppy met his gaze, as if understanding exactly what Frank had said. Frank let out a squeal of excitement and the puppy let out a small bark, which caused Frank to then giggle. The puppy stayed curled up in the fluffy towel, where it claimed sleep.

Frank scrambled away from the counter and down stairs. His wet shoes squelched as he slid across the kitchen floor to the house phone. He yanked himself up onto the counter top and fumbled for the phone. He dialed one of the two telephone numbers he actually knew.

"Frankie, is this you?" Gerard's voice asked through the phone.

"I found a puppy!" Frank squealed, flailing his free arm.

"You what?" Gerard exclaimed.

"I found a puppy! It was in the gutter, all shaking and cold. I picked it up and brought it home! It's sleeping right now! Gee, you've _got_ to come over and see it!"

"Mikey," Frank heard Gerard call to his brother. "We're going to Frankie's. Put your shoes on again."

"But they're wet," he could hear Mikey whine.

"Frankie found a puppy!" Gerard shouted excitedly to Mikey and Frank didn't flinch when the loud sound threatened his hearing.

"A puppy?" Frank heard Mikey roar with excitement along with some crashing.

"We'll be there soon," Gerard giggled before hanging up.

Frank put the phone back down and wiggled off the counter. He scrambled up the stairs and kicked his shoes off in his room. He grabbed one of the piles of clothing—he didn't know if it was dirty or clean—and threw it in his closet. He kicked more clothing under his bed and put a stack of comics on his desk. He looked around and decided his room was clean enough before rushing back downstairs and to the door right as there was a knock. He ripped the door open and Mikey rushed in.

"I brought my unicorn to play with the puppy!" Mikey squealed as Frank closed the door behind Gerard, who was also beaming. Both boys were dripping wet, seeing as Frank had their umbrella. Mikey's hair was messy from him jumping around while Gerard's dark mop of hair clung to his forehead. They kicked off their shoes before rushing upstairs. Frank stopped and blocked the bathroom door, facing both the younger and older boy.

"Now," he said almost calmly. "We have to be quiet. The puppy is sleeping."

"But Mr. Sparkles wants to play with the puppy," Mikey whined, sticking his bottom lip out in a pout.

"Mr. Sparkles can play with the puppy once he wakes up," Frank said with a nod before leading the boys into the bathroom. The puppy was still curled up in the sink, the fluffy towel cocooning around its small frame.

"It's so cute," Gerard said in a hushed whisper, giggling a little.

"I want a puppy," Mikey whined quietly as he hugged his stuffed unicorn—which had seen better days for only being around for five years. Mikey stood on the stool with Frank, to get a better look, while Gerard stood next to them, face inches from the puppy.

"Frankie, will your mom let you keep it?" he asked, none of the boys breaking eye contact with the small lump of fur and cloth.

"She has to! It has no home!" Frank whispered loudly before biting his bottom lip. He wanted to keep the puppy so badly. The puppy stirred and the boys all backed away at the same time.

"Let's go make it a bed," Mikey said excitedly. The two older boys nodded and they left the bathroom. They gathered blankets from the hall closet and all stood in Frank's room.

"What if your mom doesn't let you keep it?" Gerard asked worriedly. Mikey clutched his unicorn tighter—his five year old mind not being able to process that as anything but cruel.

"Then I'll hide it. I can take care of it myself," Frank paused. "What does a puppy need anyways?"

"Food, water, and love," Mikey said with a firm nod, his expression completely serious.

"I can do that. It'll be easy," Frank told Gerard.

"Then where can we hide its bed?" Gerard asked and silence sat with the boys for a moment. Then Frank's eyes lit up.

"My closet! The puppy can hide in my closet!" he squealed and threw his closet door open. The stack of clothing fell towards him. He scooped it all up in his arms, barely able to keep his footing with the extra weight. He ran and threw it on his bed. "I'll put these away and you guys make the bed."

"Okay-dokey," the brothers said together and they all set to work. They worked hard, and Frank's room looked actually clean for the first time in...Well, as long as any of the boys could remember. They only stopped when they heard a soft bark.

"The puppy is awake," Mikey squealed and was the first one out of the room, toy unicorn still in hand. Gerard looked at Frank and they both broke out in a fit of giggles. Mikey Way was the funniest kid they both knew.

"Let's go save that puppy from him," Gerard giggled and took Frank's hand. Gerard was nine and definitely taller than Frank already. They boys walked into the bathroom to find the puppy unwrapped and sitting up in the sink, face to face with the worn unicorn.

"Puppy, this is Mr. Sparkles the unicorn. He's magical," Mikey was rambling to the puppy, who looked very intrigued. The puppy opened its small jaw and clamped it down on the unicorn's arm, eyes bright and excited. Mikey squealed—in a mixture of excitement and terror. "No, puppy, Mr. Sparkles isn't a chew toy!" he said and wrestled his favorite toy out of the puppy's mouth. "Now say you are sorry." Mikey stared down the puppy until it let out a small, happy yelp. "Good puppy," Mikey cooed. That sent the two older boys into another fit of giggles, which Mikey didn't pay attention to.

Mikey looked at the boys, smiling. "Puppy needs a bath. He smells like...like a gutter."

"I would imagine," Gerard giggled as Frank climbed the stool and scooped the puppy up. The puppy wiggled around in his grasp and kept making quiet, cute barks.

"Shush, puppy. If you are staying here, you have to be quieter," Frank said firmly before setting the excited puppy into the bath tub. The puppy kept trying to climb out of the tub. Gerard closed the bathroom door, just in case the puppy did make its escape. Frank turned on the water, which the puppy yelped at and kept trying to take bites of. Mikey set down his unicorn and the three boys knelt next to the tub. Gerard grabbed the shampoo and poured a good amount of it on the puppy's back. They started to scrub the puppy, who kept barking happily. It made sure to spread the shampoo up each and every inch of their arms before allowing itself to be rinsed. During that process, the puppy made sure that they each got drenched along with a fair share of puppy kisses. By the time the boys finished, they were all laying together on the bathroom floor, a soaking wet heap of giggles. The boys dried the puppy off once they gained some control of themselves again and carried it into Frank's room. They all changed into some of Frank's clothes, which fit neither of the Way brothers properly, while the puppy explored the room, getting lost under the bed twice.

Gerard and Frank sat together on Frank's bed, a little tired from all the excitement. Mikey was lying on his back on the floor. The puppy was on his chest and was covering his face with kisses. Mikey kept giggling, which kept encouraging the puppy to lick him more. It was an endless circle of giggles and kisses.

Gerard looked at Frank, who was resting his head on the older boy's shoulder. "I really want to keep the puppy," Frank sighed quietly.

"I know you do, Frankie," Gerard said softly, wrapping an arm around his friend.

"I love doggies, Gee," Frank whined a little.

"I know that," Gerard smiled, showing off his square, small teeth. "I'm sure if your mom notices, she will let you keep him. You just have to show that you can handle a puppy."

"What if I don't do it right?" Frank chewed on his bottom lip.

"Then Mikey and I will help you."

"You will?" Frank asked with eyes wide.

"Of course, Frankie, it's our jobs as your friend," Gerard giggled. "Anyways, I don't think Mikey will be able to survive without a daily dose of puppy kisses now." Both the boys giggled at that.

"Guys," Mikey exclaimed suddenly, "the puppy needs a name!"

"Oh, I forgot about that!" Gerard said as Frank sat up.

"What should it be though?" Frank asked, still chewing his bottom lip. The boys all went silent for a long moment.

"I got it!" Frank suddenly cried out. The brothers looked at him in shock, startled by how loud he had suddenly become. "Let's name him Bruce!"

"Why?" Mikey whined.

"Like Bruce Wayne," Gerard explained, sharing a huge grin with Frank.

"The puppy is Batman!" Mikey squealed and Frank flailed his arms about.

"Batpup!" Frank let out a loud squeal as well, toppling over on his bed. The puppy got rallied up by all the excitement and started racing all around the room, taking turns barking at each of them before attacking Mikey's face again.

"Mikey, you're going to get puppy slobber on your glasses," Gerard warned him with a grin.

"Eww," Frank giggled, smiling at the older boy.

"No way," Mikey said between giggles, "he is cleaning my glasses. It's Batpup's job as a member of our family."

"His job is to fight crime," Gerard giggled, "not to clean your glasses."

"His job is to do good," Mikey argued, "and cleaning my glasses is doing good." Frank, who had been giggling uncontrollably throughout the argument, now had hiccups and trying to contain them.

"Whatever," Gerard rolled his eyes, smiling still.

Once the rain stopped, the boys brought Bruce out back to use the restroom before bringing the exhausted puppy back upstairs. Bruce curled up in his makeshift bed and fell right asleep. The boys watched Bruce for a moment, pride in their eyes.

The Ways had to go home eventually, which left Frank alone with his new puppy. He quietly closed the closet door and went downstairs right as his mom got home. They ate dinner together, as usual, and Frank returned up to his room. He stayed there all night, keeping the puppy quiet and reading Batman comic books to Bruce. He tucked Bruce in before closing the closet door again. He crawled into bed and fell asleep, exhausted from all the excitement and puppy kisses.

"Frankie, what are you going to do about the puppy tonight?" Gerard asked at lunch. The three boys sat together at their own table. Sure, the other kids wouldn't mind if they sat with them, but Frank and Gerard just didn't get along with people that well. Mikey got along with everyone, but he loved the two older boys and wasn't planning on leaving them.

"What do you mean?" Frank asked as he gave Gerard his chocolate milk.

"If you are sleeping over, who is going to look after Bruce?"

"Oh," Frank paused and thought for a moment. "After school I will run home and check on him. I'll feed him and take him outside for a little bit. Then I'll put him back in his bed with a little snack and head over. I'll just have to leave tomorrow morning instead of later."

"Can we come over tomorrow morning and play with Bruce?" Mikey asked excitedly. "Mr. Sparkles really," the small boy dragged out the word, "wants to play with him again." He paused and looked around before lowering his voice. "I think Mr. Sparkles is in love with Bruce," Mikey whispered. The other two boys had to stifle their giggles.

"Sure, you can come over tomorrow," Frank said once he calmed down a little, still fighting a smile.

"Yes!" Mikey squealed excitedly before returning his attention to his sandwich. Gerard rolled his eyes, a goofy smile on his lips. Frank tapped Gerard's foot with his own, expressing his amusement.

The boys walked home together again. This afternoon the boys had a clear sky overhead. The trio giggled and squealed the whole way home, excited about the sleep over _and _Bruce.

"I bet Bruce is Batman's new sidekick," Mikey said as he started off on another one of his rambling sessions. They boys were going home with Frank first, to help check on the puppy. They all froze when they saw a car in the driveway.

"Why is Ma home?" Frank whispered worriedly. He clutched Gerard's hand.

"We can distract her while you bring Bruce outside," Gerard said and squeezed Frank's hand comfortingly. Frank nodded and they entered his home.

"Oh Frank, good, you're home. I need to talk to—" Linda stopped talking when she saw the other two boys there. "Hello, boys," she smiled. "I need to talk to Frank. Can you wait in the living room?" she asked politely. The brothers nodded and sat on the couch together, trying to hide their worried looks. Linda looked at Frank and motioned for him to go upstairs. Frank nodded and swallowed, afraid. He climbed the stairs, his feet feeling like they were made of lead. His mother opened his bedroom door to reveal fabric everywhere. Bruce has torn apart his makeshift bed throughout the school day.

"Now, Franklin Iero would you like to explain this to me?" she asked firmly.

"I," Frank chewed his lip as he thought. "Um, I, uhh..." His eyes widened when he heard a small bark. Linda kept watching Frank, eyes unwavering. She raised her eyebrows, waiting. "You see..."

"Franklin, why did I come home early today to find a puppy on your bed?" she asked.

"His name is Bruce!" Frank exclaimed before clasping his hands over his mouth. His mother just raised her eyebrows again. "Ma, I found him in the gutter," Frank cried out, removing his hands from his mouth. "It was raining and he was shaking and whimpering. I just had to help him, Ma!" Frank's eyes got watery as Bruce ran up to Frank and barked excitedly, tail wagging at the speed of light.

"Frank, you can't just bring stray dogs home," she said firmly.

"Ma, I couldn't leave him in the _gutter_! He was going to die of a cold! He smelled and was shaking! He needs a home!" Frank was crying now. He rubbed his eyes. Bruce _needed_ him. He heard his mother sigh. Next thing he knew, her warm arms were around him, hugging him close.

"You did a good thing, saving the puppy—"

"His name is Bruce," Frank mumbled.

"Saving Bruce," Linda corrected herself, smiling. "I don't know if we can keep him, though. He must have owners out there somewhere. We will put up posters and if someone comes for him, you have to give him back."

"But Ma, I don't want to," Frank whined sadly.

"Frankie, baby, you'll have to be brave and give him back. It's the right thing to do."

"I'm going to miss him," Frank cried into her shoulder.

"I know, I'm sorry, baby," Linda stroking his back, calming her child down. "But you saved him, and I'm sure you'll be allowed to visit him. You're Bruce's hero."

Frank sniffled. "Does that make me a super hero?" he pulled back and looked at his mother with wide eyes.

"Yes it does," she said softly and smiled as she wiped his precious tears away. "Now go on. I'll clean up the mess. You and the boys can play with Bruce tomorrow. We can wait another day to put up posters."

"Thank you, Ma," Frank smiled and kissed his mom's cheek. He knelt down and kissed Bruce before grabbing his bag and running down to the boys with a big grin on his face.

Bruce ended up staying at the Iero's house for a week before a little girl showed up at his house with her father. She was clutching one of the posters Frank had put up, her eyes watery. She couldn't be any older than four.

"Is Lily here?" she sniffled, bottom lip trembling. Frank's heart sank and tightened.

"You mean the puppy?" Frank asked and chewed his lip. When the girl nodded, he opened the door and let them both in. Frank's mom talked to the girl's father while Frank brought the girl upstairs.

"He's in here—in my room," he said and let the girl enter his Batcave. Bruce (or Lily) raced to the girl barking like crazy. The girl dropped to her knees and pulled Bruce into her arms, crying loudly. Bruce licked away her tears.

"Thank you," the little girl sniffed to Frank, looking up at him with large, blue eyes.

"It was nothing," Frank wrung his hands.

"You took good care of him," she smiled through her tears.

"I read him comics every night," Frank said, pride in his eyes. The girl stood up, Bruce wiggling around in her arms, and hugged Frank with one arm.

"Thank you," she said again and Frank just nodded, fighting tears. He walked her downstairs and stood in the doorway with his mother's hand on his shoulder as he watched Bruce leave with the little girl. Frank started to cry again, wavering sadly.

"Ma, being the hero isn't very easy," he whispered-holding back his sobs.

"I know, baby, I know," his mother said softly.


End file.
